Fading away
by LittleMonkeyDog
Summary: Face gets sick. It's nothing serious, but after he starts taking his medication things go horribly wrong. Based on a true story.
1. Chapter 1

**FF A-team: Fading away**

 **A/N:** **This story (a sick fic) is based on true events. Someone in my family actually went through this and it was pretty scary. Thank God everything ended well ! I just had to get this out of my system and writing this story has helped me deal with it a lot. Unfortunately, I don't owe the characters of the A-team**

 **Chapter 1**

The team had been working very hard on their latest case. They had been in need of a diver and since Face was an excellent swimmer the honor had been his. Face had complained to Hannibal since he was susceptible to sinus infections, but Hannibal hadn't really wanted to listen to his complaints. Now the case had ended and the team was looking forward to a few days off. Face had scammed them a small studio and they had all went out for lunch at the local diner. Face had been sneezing all through the drive and was now pushing his food around in his plate.

"What's up with you, kid? You've hardly touched your food."

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really. I'm fine. It's just … I'm really tired, okay. So I guess I'm not that hungry."

"Okay, if you say so."

"You ain't eatin' no more? Man, there ain't no meat on them bones of yours."

"Haha. Real funny. Want my plate?"

B.A. didn't turn that offer down. After dinner, the team went back to the little studio to relax some more. Face made his way to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a split second.

"Hey, Face. The game is about to get started. Wanna come up here and watch it with us?"

Face emerged from the kitchen glass of water still in his hand.

"Nah. I think I'm gonna pass and head of to bed. I really am tired."

"Okay. Suit yourself."

"Night, guys. Enjoy the game."

"Sure will. Night, Facey."

The tiny studio only had two bedrooms, so the guys were forced to share rooms with one another. Hannibal bunked with B.A. and so Face was forced to bunk with his buddy Murdock. He hoped he wouldn't be bothered by his crazy pilot friend as he would be fast asleep before Murdock would actually go to bed. Face grabbed his PJ's and made is way to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and hurried to bed afterwards nearly burying himself underneath the warm blankets. He closed his eyes and hoped sleep would claim him real fast.

The very next morning Murdock was up bright and early as usual. He decided Face had slept long enough for now and wanted to wake his best friend up.

"Hey, Facey. Wakey wakey! Rise and shine. It's a brand new day. Come on! I wanna watch cartoons and I hate doing that alone. Please, Facey. I'll even make you a cup of coffee."

Face surfaced from beneath his blankets with an angry expression on his handsome features.

"Murdock, do you mind? I'm trying to get some more rest here. It's not like we're on a case right now and I'm exhausted."

"Come on, Faceguy. You went to bed early last night. Haven't you slept enough already?"

"No, Murdock. I have not. Now get off my case and let me sleep some more."

"Oh my, are we grumpy today. It's like bunking with the mean ugly mud sucker. He gets like this all the time."

Face said nothing, but buried himself underneath his warm blankets once again. Murdock knew he wouldn't be able to get Face out of bed now and so he left the room. He jumped into the seat and put on his favorite cartoon show and waited for the others to emerge from their room. It didn't take long before Hannibal and B.A. entered the living room.

"Morning, Captain. Seen Face this morning?"

"Yep, Colonel."

"So where is he?"

"Well he's in bed, Colonel. Where else would he be?"

"But you said you saw him …"

"I did. I woke him up and wanted him to come and watch cartoon shows with me, but he was all grumpy."

"Grumpy? Face?"

"Yeah. Said somethin' about him not gettin' enough sleep."

"Not enough sleep?"

"That's what he said."

Face had woken up by now and he emerged from his shared bedroom with Murdock.

"What's up with all the noise? Can't you keep your voices down? Some people are trying to get some sleep, you know."

"See, I told ya. Grumpy."

"Ain't no time to be sleepin' no more."

"B.A.'s right, kid. Now what is your problem?"

"I'm tired and I wanna get some more sleep."

"Face, you've slept longer than sleeping beauty. Now tell me what's going on?"

"If you must know I have a sinus infection, Hannibal. I told you when you made me do the dive that I would get all congested, but you wouldn't listen. Now my sinuses are all clogged up and my head is pounding."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah well … I have a sore throat too sort of."

"Could it be strep throat?"

"I don't know. Yeah, I guess so."

"Got a fever too?"

"I'm not sure."

"Alright. Lay down on the couch and I'll go get the thermometer. You do look pale you know kid. You should've told me."

Face just merely rolled his eyes, but did as he was told anyway.

"You do have a slight fever, kid. Should we go up to Black Rock so Maggie can have a look at you?"

"No, I'm fine Hannibal. It's nothing really. All I need is a little bit of rest without Mr. Looney Tunes over there to bother me. That's all."

"Now, kid, you're far from fine. I really would like to get you checked out by a doctor."

"But …"

"No, Face. Save the arguments. You're sick, kid. You do what you're told."

"Alright. Okay. Fine. I'll go and see a doctor, but there's no need to drive all the way to Maggie's. I can go to a local doctor out here. I'll make an appointment later on."

"No, you won't. I'll make the appointment and I'm going with you."

"Do you wanna hold my hand, Colonel?"

"I'll even let you have a lolly pop when you behave. Now get some rest. I'll make that appointment."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The team decided to let their Lieutenant rest for a while. They had breakfast and afterwards Hannibal made the call to the doctor. He sent Murdock and B.A. out to get some groceries while he took Face to the doctor. He woke Face up so he could grab a quick shower before getting dressed and getting ready for his appointment. They jumped into the van to go to the doctor's in town.

"Could you please turn up the heat some more, Hannibal? I'm freezing."

"Freezing? Kid, what are you talking about? It's nice and warm in here as usual. And what are you doing wearing your entire wardrobe?"

"I'm cold, Hannibal. I just told you."

"Cold huh. You know, kid. I think we're doing the right thing getting you checked out."

They arrived at the doctors and Hannibal parked the van and ushered Face out and into the practice. They had to wait in the waiting room for a while, until they were called back by a nurse. Since Hannibal posed as Face's dad, he was able to go with him. Face just hated that.

"Alright Mr. Peck, follow me please" the friendly young blonde nurse stated as she lead them to the doctor's office. "The doctor will be with you shortly. Meanwhile, you can already get undressed."

"What? Uh … I'm not that sick, you know. Dad always exaggerates. It's not that bad. Really! It's just my sinuses and a little bit of a sore throat. Nothing too bad so I don't think …"

"You're running a fever too, kid. Don't forget that."

"The doctor can't know what the problem is, unless she examines you Mr. Peck. She can't possibly do that when you are wearing all of these clothes. We do have a changing room if that makes you feel more comfortable "

"More comfortable … Yeah. Sure."

Hannibal had to bite his lip to prevent himself from starting to laugh out loud.

"It's alright, Mr. Peck. We are all professionals here," the nurse stated reassuringly. "There's no need to be shy. Go right ahead. I'll wait here for you."

"You'll wait … for me?"

"Yes, Mr. Peck. I need to take your vitals: weight, height, blood pressure and temperature. I also need to draw some blood."

"Draw … blood. Sure."

She smiled sweetly. Face locked eyes with Hannibal for a moment and noticed how he could barely contain his laughter.

"Come on, kid. Can't keep the doctor waiting."

Face sighed and hesitatingly made his way to the changing room. He wasn't really looking forward to getting undressed as he was already cold, but he realized he had no choice."

He slowly took of his jacket and sweater and started to unbutton his dress shirt. His teeth were chattering already. By the time he finished getting undressed, he was shivering like crazy. Hannibal and the nurse both noticed this straight away.

"Are you alright, Mr. Peck? You're shivering!" The nurse stated. "Are you feverish?"

"No, I'm just really very cold."

"Let me take your temperature," she said.

Face obediently let her take his temperature.

"What does it say?" Hannibal asked the nurse clearly worried about his 'son'.

"102," she answered him. "No wonder you're shivering, you poor thing."

"His fever has gone up since we last took it," Hannibal said wearing a serious expression on his Face.

The nurse excused herself for a second and ran out of the room to grab a blanket.

"Face, why didn't you tell we felt this sick?"

"It's not that bad, Hannibal. Really! It's just my sinuses and maybe strep throat. That's what probably causes this fever. All I need is something for my throat and sinuses and some rest and I'll be fine again in a couple of days."

But Hannibal wasn't convinced. The nurse came running back into the room carrying a blanket. She quickly draped the blanket over Face's shoulders to cover him up some.

"The doctor will be with you shortly," she said to him smiling reassuringly.

Face managed to smile back at her, but Hannibal noticed he didn't flirt with her like he usually did. A few minutes later, the doctor walked in.

"Mr. Peck," she started extending her hand to him and introduced herself. "I've been told that you have a sore throat and a sinus problem. Is that correct?"

"That's right."

The doctor told him to put the blanket down and started to examine him very thoroughly.

"What's the verdict, doctor?" Hannibal asked once she was finished examining Face.

She handed Face the blanket as she started to explain what was wrong with him. Face buried himself into the blanket while he listened to the verdict. The doctor told the both of them that Face indeed suffered from a bad sinus infection and on top of that strep throat. He needed some medication for those problems and lots of rest. Face got dressed again quickly afterwards.

Hannibal drove back to the studio. He stopped at a local drugstore to get Face's prescribed medication. Meanwhile, Face had fallen asleep. Hannibal had to wake him up once they arrived back home. Murdock and B.A. had also returned with the groceries.

Hannibal led a still groggy Face towards the couch and made him lie down. He ordered Murdock to go grab his pillow and blanket from his bed to get Face comfortable. Murdock ran up the stairs as fast as he could and back again with the requested supplies. Face nearly buried himself into his blankets as he started to shiver once again.

"What is it, Hannibal?" B.A. asked all worried about his pale looking team mate. "He ain't lookin' to good."

"I'm fine. I just need to sleep."

"I wouldn't define a bad sinus infection and strep throat as fine, Lieutenant. His fever has gone up, B.A. Can you go grab something from the first aid kit?"

"Sure. You got it."

"Now Face, whether you like it or not you're going to take something for that fever of yours and have something to eat as well."

"I'll make you a Murdock special. What about that Facey?"

"Murdock? My throat hurts!"

"I think Face is going to stick with some soup for now, Murdock."

"Mais oui. I can do soup. Would you care for some chicken?" Murdock said in a French accent.

"Sure Murdock. Sounds good to me."

Face obediently took something for his fever and ate a whole bowl of Murdock's freshly made chicken soup. He felt a little better already. After he finished eating his soup, Hannibal handed him his pills for the sinus infection and ordered him to get some rest.

Face slept peacefully for the rest of the afternoon. When he woke up, Murdock was in the kitchen cooking up some supper for the team. Face once again ate a large bowl of Murdock's delicious homemade chicken soup. He was slowly starting to feel better. He was still clogged up, but his head seemed to be lighter. Hannibal once again handed him a tablet for his sinus infection.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Face spent some more time with the team watching TV until his eyes slipped shut. Hannibal suddenly noticed this and smiled.

"Hey, sleepyhead, don't you think it's time to head to bed?

Face lazily opened his blue eyes.

"Huh?"

"Face, you fell asleep on the couch. Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Hannibal, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Not this time, kid. You're still sick. Come on, let's get you upstairs."

Murdock offered to help his friend up the stairs. He waited patiently for him in the hall while Face was brushing his teeth. A few minutes later a very nervous and anxious Face came out of the bathroom.

"What's wrong, pal? Face? Face what is it?"

"I'm not … I'm … not feeling … well. I … I … I feel like I'm … I'm fainting …"

His breathing had picked up.

"You feel like fainting? It's okay. Don't worry. I've got you."

Murdock wrapped his arm around Face's waist to support his best friend's weight.

"See, I've got you. Now calm down, Facey. I'll get you to bed and then you can lie down."

Murdock did exactly that still trying to calm Face down. He helped him to lie down on top of his comforter. Face kept on repeating that he was fainting and would fall down.

"Facey, you can't fall buddy. Don't worry. You're lying in bed. It's okay, now. Just calm down. You'll start to hyperventilate."

Murdock sat down on the edge of Face's bed and kept on talking to him trying to calm him down, but nothing seemed to help. Face frantically started to look around his bedroom.

"Where am I?" He asked clearly panicking.

"What do you mean, Face? You've scammed this studio a couple of days ago, remember? You're in our bedroom now."

Face sat up in bed and looked around the bedroom. It looked as if he still had no idea where he was. Murdock was pretty sure something was very wrong by now. He kept a close eye on Face and walked towards the bedroom door. As soon as he opened the door he started to yell for Hannibal.

"Colonel, something is very wrong here. Can you come up to Face's room?"

He walked back over to Face's bed when he noticed that Face was talking to a Buddha figure sitting on the night cabinet.

"He's not talking to me. Why doesn't he talk to me?" He asked Murdock in a childlike voice.

"What are you talking about, Face? There is no one here but us."

"That man over there," Face said pointing at the Buddha figure.

"Facey, that's a porcelain Buddha figure not a man. Porcelain figures don't talk, buddy. You know that!"

"Why not? Why doesn't he talk to me? I'm really scared. Is he mad at me? Have I been naughty?"

"No, Facey, no. And he's not mad at you. Don't worry. He just can't talk."

"Can't talk. Why?"

"He's not real. That's why!"

"I don't understand."

"It's just a statue, buddy. You know. It is something to decorate your room."

Face frowned as if he didn't understand what his friend was telling him. Murdock was really starting to get worried now.

"Where's Hannibal?"

"He's downstairs, Face. He'll be here in a minute to check on you."

Face sat up in bed and looked down at the bedroom floor. Murdock watched him not knowing what his friend was doing.

"He's not there."

"Sure he is, Face. I just told him to come up here and check up on you."

"He is not there," Face said once again pointing at the floor.

"Off course, not. That's just the floor. He's not on the floor. He is downstairs."

"I don't understand."

Meanwhile Hannibal walked into Face's room.

"Hannibal, there is something seriously wrong here," Murdock explained.

He started to explain the whole situation and Hannibal kept a close eye on Face in the meantime. His behavior resembling that of a young child, but at least he seemed to have calmed down somewhat. Face smiled at Hannibal and even his smile was so unlike Face's normal smile.

"Hey, kid," Hannibal said as he walked over to Face's bed and sat down. "Are you okay?"

Face nodded his head still smiling.

"Face, do you know who I am?"

"Daddy," Face replied happily. He was really starting to act like a toddler by now.

"Yes son. That's right. I'm daddy," Hannibal said in a calm and warm voice while exchanging worried glances with Murdock. "And who is that?" He asked pointing at Murdock. "Do you know who that is?"

"My brother," Face replied proudly.

"Do you know your brother's name?"

Face shook his head.

"Okay. Do you have one brother?"

"No. I have another one," Face said.

"That's right, Face. You have another brother. Do you know his name?"

Again Face shook his head.

"Who is Face?" He asked clearly not knowing the answer to that question.

"That's your moniker, kid. Don't you remember? Your name is Templeton Arthur Peck, but we usually call you Face."

"You do?"

"Yes, we do."

"You don't remember your name?" Murdock asked confused.

Again Face shook his head. He yawned like a small child.

"I'm really tired, daddy," he said.

"I can see that, son. Try and get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning. Just close your eyes. I'll stay right here with you until you fall asleep. Okay?"

Face nodded his head obediently and closed his eyes while putting his thumb in his mouth. Hannibal softly ran a hand through his Lieutenant's long blond hair while glancing worriedly at Murdock.

"What are we gonna do now, Hannibal? He is not doing well, is he? Don't you think we should take him to the hospital?"

"I know, Murdock. I know," Hannibal said looking at a now sleeping Face. "I suggest we let him rest and check him again in the morning. There is nothing much we can do now and he is really tired. His confusion just might be a result of the dizziness. Let's hope it's that! We'll check him again first thing in the morning."

No one but Face slept that night …


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Hannibal decided to wake Face up at first light to check his condition. Everyone was super worried. Hannibal walked over to Face's bed and sat down next to his sleeping Lieutenant. He was buried underneath his comforter as usual. Hannibal had to smile at that.

"Hey, kid. How are you feeling today, huh? Isn't it about time you got up?"

But he got no reaction whatsoever. He tried a few more times, but wasn't able to wake Face up at all. Finally he decided to pull back the covers revealing a still sleeping Face curled into a tight ball and still sucking his thumb. The three teammates all exchanged worried glances. This was looking far from good. Hannibal once again tried to get Face to wake up and this time he did succeed.

"Hey, kid. How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Face sat up still sucking his thumb and nodded his head. Murdock and B.A. watched his every move.

"Can you remember your name now?"

Face shook his head. Hannibal asked him a few more questions and grew ever more worried. Face was still acting like a two year old.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all," Hannibal stated to the others. "He doesn't remember a thing and he acts all childlike. It's so not like him to behave like this. We need to get him checked out at the hospital."

"Okay, Face. It's time for you to get dressed," Hannibal started to explain. "We're going to see the doctor."

Face looked up at Hannibal with innocent blue eyes as if he had no idea what Hannibal was telling him.

"Face, you need to get dressed. You can't go to the doctor wearing your pajamas, kid. And we haven't got all day. Now get up and go and get ready," Hannibal said again.

Face still looked like an innocent toddler and again he was sucking his thumb.

"He ain't actin' right in the head, Hannibal," B.A. said. "I ain't never seen him suckin' no thumb."

"Stop doing that," Hannibal said while pulling Face's thumb from his mouth.

"Facey," Murdock tried, "You need to put on some clothes. We're taking you for a drive. We're gonna see a nice man who can make you all better again. Would you like that?"

Face eagerly nodded his head.

"What's with you, fool? He ain't no baby no more."

"Well, he's certainly acting like one. I got him to respond, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did Captain. But can you make sure he gets dressed too?"

Murdock held up his finger and started to talk to Face again.

"Okay. So let's put on some clothes. Can you be a good boy and do that?"

Face shook his head.

"You don't know how to put on your clothes?" Murdock asked him.

Face smiled and nodded.

"Oh Hannibal," B.A. said in a worried tone of voice. "This is so not good."

"You think?" Hannibal replied. "Murdock, help him get dressed and hurry up will you."

Murdock finally managed to get Face dressed in a simple shirt and a pair of jeans. Together with Hannibal he managed to get Face down the stairs and into the awaiting van.

"Okay, buddy. We're about to take off. Better buckle up," Murdock stated.

B.A. started the van and watched the interaction between Face and Murdock in his rear view mirror. Face just sat in his chair and did nothing.

"What's the matter, buddy? Need some help?"

Again Face nodded his head.

Murdock fastened his seatbelt for him. Face just looked down at the strap and started to play with it. Hannibal had turned his seat around and was watching the whole thing. His mind was racing. What in Heaven's name was happening to his Lieutenant? Whatever it was, Hannibal hoped the doctors would be able to reverse the situation. He couldn't bear to see his handsome, smart second-in-command acting like a two year old all over again. Despite being deeply worried, Hannibal had to keep a grip on the situation and remain the ever calm leader he was for his other team members. Deep down he was heartbroken to see Face like this.

It didn't take them long to get to the hospital. Hannibal explained what was going on and a nurse escorted them to an examination room. Murdock helped Face to sit down on the bed. A few minutes later, another nurse walked in with some paperwork.

"Hi Mr. Peck," she started. "I need to ask you a couple of questions before the doctor can come in to examine you. Okay?"

"Who is Mr. Peck?" Face asked Murdock clearly not knowing who the nurse was talking about.

"That's you, Facey. Don't you remember? Your name is Templeton Arthur Peck. Can you tell the nice lady your name?"

"Templeton … Arthur … Peck," he repeated after Murdock.

"That's a good boy," Murdock replied.

"You're drunk, aren't you. That's so typical. You drink yourself into oblivion at first and then expect us to patch you up again," the nurse said starting to get annoyed.

"No, he hasn't been drinking, lady," Hannibal answered her sternly. "The kid is real sick. He has a sinus infection and he's on medication. Last night he started to feel dizzy and got really nervous thinking he was about to pass out. He ended up being all confused and not remembering vital things such as his name and stuff. On top of that, he's been acting like a two year old. I'm really worried about him."

"I see," she said scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "And you are?"

"His father," Hannibal lied, "and these are his two brothers."

The nurse had a weird expression on her face as she looked from the patient to the strange group of men.

"They're orphans and I've adopted them," Hannibal went on.

The nurse seemed to buy that explanation.

"Very well," she said. "I'll take his vitals and draw some blood for starters. But … uh … we need Mr. Peck to get undressed so the doctor can examine him straight away."

Hannibal told Murdock to help Face get undressed and try to explain to him what would happen. Face sat up on the examination table happily looking around the emergency room while sucking his thumb again.

"Temp?" Murdock started. "Temp, I need you to listen to me okay?"

Face nodded his head smiling at his brother.

"We're at the doctor's now and he'll make you all better again. But to find out what's wrong with you, we need to take of your clothes so the doctor can check you. Is that okay? Can you help me with that, Temp?"

Face nodded his head again. When Murdock told him to lift up his arms, he did exactly what was asked of him.

"Great job, Temp," Murdock said patting Face's shoulder when he was finished.

The nurse took his vitals and Face let her. She took his arm afterwards, disinfected it and put the needle in his vein to draw some of his blood. Face silently observed what she was doing without saying a word. He acted entirely like a toddler. As soon as the nurse was done, she pulled out the needle and put a band aid on the puncture wound.

"All done now, sweetie," she said softly to Face. "You've done a great job so far."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but as this is a personal story it is a pretty hard one for me to write down … I kind of have to live through the whole ordeal and the emotions all over again. It certainly drains your energy. I hope none of you will ever have to go through something like this. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me. Reviews are greatly appreciated

 **CHAPTER 5**

The nurse told the guys that they would have to wait on the blood results and that the doctor would be with them shortly. Since the ER was overcrowded that night, Face was in a unit that was usually used for kids. The walls were decorated with nicely painted wild animals. He was sitting up on the bed and was studying the paintings. Murdock noticed what his friend was doing.

"Are you watching the animals, Facey?"

Face nodded his head smiling. "They're very pretty."

"Yes, they are. Do you recognize them?"

Again Face nodded his head and started to explain what he saw on the wall. He was still busy doing that when the doctor walked in. The doctor could clearly hear him naming the animals like a toddler would do and he frowned.

"Face, the doctor is here," Hannibal said softly.

Two mischievous eyes looked at the doctor.

"Hi, Templeton," he said. "Nice to meet you."

Face smiled.

"I'm going to talk to your dad and your brothers for a while, okay. You can look at the animals some more if you like."

Hannibal explained what was going on and the doctor listened. He didn't like the way Face behaved as a little kid.

"So he has total amnesia? He doesn't remember anything?" The doctor asked.

"That's right."

"Mind if I ask him some questions?"

"No certainly. Be my guest. Face? The doctor wants to ask you some questions. Okay, kid?"

Face nodded and looked at the doctor with his bright blue eyes.

"Temp," the doctor started. "Is it okay if I call you Temp?"

Face merely shrugged.

"I guess it is. Okay. Temp, do you know your last name?"

Face shook his head.

"Don't you remember? Your last name is Peck."

"Peck."

"That's right! Do you know where you live?"

Again Face shook his head. The doctor asked him some more questions, but Face couldn't answer any of them.

"You're doing great," the doctor said. "Now, would you like to get all better again?"

Face nodded his head.

"Good. We need to do some tests, but your dad and your brothers can stay with you. Okay?"

"I'm really scared," Face admitted tears brimming his blue eyes. "Are you gonna hurt me?"

"Off course not," the doctor said. "Don't be afraid. Nobody is gonna hurt you. I promise."

He handed Face a stuffed animal that was lying around in the room and his eyes lit up as he took it and started to play with it. Hannibal still couldn't believe how his Lieutenant was acting like a two-year-old. It pained him to see him this way and he knew for sure that it was extremely hard for Murdock as well to watch his friend act like this.

The doctor explained that they were going to test Face's eyes and take a head scan to find out what might be going on as he had no clue. He admitted he had never ever had a case like this before. Hannibal explained that Face was on medication due to his sinus infection, but that was all.

Hannibal, Murdock and BA accompanied Face wherever they took him for the tests. The nurses were always mesmerized by his handsome looks, but also worried about his childlike behavior. Everywhere they went Hannibal needed to explain that Face didn't remember a thing and therefor couldn't answer their questions properly or do as he was told to do. Murdock pushed his friend in a wheelchair back to the ER as soon as his tests were done, so they could go over the results with the doctor.

"Well Facey, you're the talk of the hospital as usual," he said. "All the nurses are swooning over you, but everyone is also really worried about you. What is happening to you, buddy? You can't stay like this. We need you back, Facey. We do. We really miss you."

"He don't know nothin', fool. Somethin' ain't right in his head. He's been spendin' way too much time with a nut like you."

"Cut it out, will ya. Let's go see what the good doctor has to say about Face's condition. I for one am starting to get seriously worried about what is going on."

They met with the doctor, but he couldn't come up with any answers so far. There was nothing wrong with Face's eyes and the scan only showed that he indeed suffered from a sinus infection. More tests were scheduled starting off with an EEG. Face sat down in a chair while a young nurse applied a smelly liquid on his head and hair.

"It stinks," he complained.

"I know it does, sweetie, but we really need to do this so we can find out what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

The worse part was yet to come. Two nurses now worked on placing the electrodes on his skull and doing so was very painful.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it's uncomfortable for you, so we'll get this over with as soon as we can. Okay?"

Face didn't say a word, but looked at Hannibal with glassy blue eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears. Hannibal grabbed a chair and sat in front of Face.

"You're doing great, son. It won't be much longer now."

He noticed how Face got a faraway look in his eyes and he started to get pale too.

"Face? Can you hear me, kid? Face? You need to stay with us? Temp?"

But it was no use. Face passed out. Hannibal, Murdock and BA carried him towards the bed in the small room and laid him down on top of it. He regained consciousness right away.

"Hey, son. You passed out. It's okay now. The nurse told me it's a normal thing. Most people pass out in here. It's the combination of that awful smelling liquid and the pain. Don't worry about it. It's all over now."

When he felt up to it, Face was allowed to sit up again on the bed. The nurse put some kind of hat on top of the electrodes and also attached the electrodes to a device in a backpack that Face had to carry with him for the duration of the test. The team was brought back to a private room this time and Hannibal ordered Face to get some rest which he did. They waited a couple of hours until it was time to remove the electrodes from Face's scalp once again.

The nurse warned Hannibal that Face might start to complain about a sand like feeling in his hair due to the liquids they used. It would all disappear again when he would wash his hair. She even volunteered to do the washing if he would have to stay overnight at the hospital.

Once again the team talked about the results with the doctor, but there wasn't anything at all abnormal about the EEG. Face' disease was still a big mystery.

"What do ya mean you ain't found nothin'? Face still ain't acting okay. He ain't no kid nomore. Somethin' is wrong with him and you better find out what it is, sucka."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"We'll take another head scan and compare it to the one we took earlier. Maybe we missed something," the doctor said. "I'll also have a meeting with some of the other doctors about Mr. Peck's condition and see what else we can do for him."

Once again Face was brought to the radiology department. Murdock talked to him as if he was talking to his baby brother while helping him get undressed for the test and dressed again afterwards. They were taken back to the emergency room afterwards. Face had fallen asleep while he was wheeled back. B.A. lifted him easily from the wheelchair and put him in his bed at the emergency room. Hannibal kept a close eye on his sleeping young Lieutenant. It was obvious to his team members that the Colonel was really worried.

"Hey man. We ain't getting' out of here 'til we know what's happenin' with Face."

"The big guy is right, Hannibal. We have to know what's goin' on. I can't stand to see Facey like this."

"I don't know, Captain. He's sleeping peacefully if you ask me."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah. I just can't help thinking that the medication is what got to him. It all started to go wrong after he took the medication for the second time."

The guys all watched Face who was still sleeping peacefully while happily sucking his thumb. At that moment, the doctor walked in. He had returned from the meeting with the other doctors and they had been discussing Face's case. A peculiar case he added. The doctors had been brainstorming on and on about the tests and the test results and the odd behavior of their adult patient acting like a toddler.

The doctor suggested more tests. He tried to carefully explain to the team that they might be looking at a heart condition.

"A heart condition? Really! You've got to be kidding me. The kid has passed all of his medical tests for the army and the Special Forces with flying colors and every other medical test since. He's very athletic and in great shape."

"I understand your concern for your son. I really do! Sometimes certain heart problems reveal themselves suddenly. A perfectly healthy man can have a hidden heart condition dating back to birth even. We have a top cardiologist present at the hospital who is willing to examine your son and do some tests."

"Okay. Fine. Do the tests. I have to know what's going on with my son. I'll wake him up."

Hannibal gently tried to wake up his second-in-command. He blinked a couple of times and started rubbing his eyes like a toddler. Still no change in his behavior... He looked up at Hannibal with innocent blue eyes.

"Hey kid. I know you wanna sleep for a little bit, but the doctor wants to make you all better again. So he's gonna do some more tests. Okay? I want you to listen to what he tells you to do."

Face nodded his head obediently. Once again, Murdock helped him into the wheelchair. The entire team went up to cardiology with him. The cardiologist was waiting for them already.

"Ah, Mr. Peck. There you are! I've been waiting for you," he said cheerfully. "So. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

"Sleepy. I hate it here. I wanna go home."

Hannibal put a hand on his Lieutenant's shoulder.

"I know you do, son. We'll get you home soon. Let's just focus on getting you all better again. Okay? The nice doctor is trying to help you."

Two frightened blue eyes looked at the doctor dressed in green scrubs.

"Are you gonna hurt me too?"

"No. I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."

"That's what the others told me and they did it anyway."

"He's talking about the EEG," Hannibal tried to explain to the cardiologist.

"I see," he said while he kneeled down in front of Face. "They attached those weird things to your head to check what is going on inside of it and attaching them made you feel all uncomfortable."

Face nodded his head.

"Let me tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna listen to your heart with this little device here. I'm just going to put this on your chest and back to listen to your heart and the only thing that you might feel is the cold of the metal. Would that be okay? And if I need to do more tests, I'll tell you what they are before we start with them. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Okay. Hop on the table for me and I'll help you take off your shirt," the cardiologist said.

He kept telling Face what to do and he did what he was told stating that the stethoscope the doctor used was indeed cold when the doctor pressed it against his bare chest. The doctor listened to his heart and afterwards had his assistant take Face's blood pressure again while he talked to Hannibal and the guys.

"He has the heart of a sports man," the doctor stated. "He has a slow and regular heartbeat. I didn't really notice any abnormalities so far either."

"He's always been into sports," Hannibal explained. "He used to play football in high school and college and he runs, swims and plays tennis on a regular basis now. He's quite athletic."

"I suggest another test," the cardiologist said. "Let's put him on a bike and monitor his condition and heart rhythm."

He went over to Face and explained the test to him again. Face was excited about this test, but that somewhat changed when he saw that the bike he was supposed to ride couldn't really ride in reality. The cardiologist explained that he had a device that would make it look as if he was actually riding the bike up a hill. Some sensors were attached to Face's bare chest and back to monitor his heart and he was told to ride as fast as he could.

The whole team and the cardiologist were cheering for him and pushing him to do his utmost best. Finally, the machine beeped and indicated that the test was over.

"That's it! You did great, Temp," the cardiologist said.

Face still sat on the bike and suddenly all color drained from his face.

"Kid, what is going on? Talk to me!"

"Feel … dizzy," Face slurred.

B.A. and Murdock ran up to him and helped their dizzy team mate off of the bike and gently helped him to lie down on the floor. The cardiologist immediately sat down next to him and examined him, but reassured the team that it wasn't his heart. Face had shut his eyes firmly.

"Wait a minute," Murdock exclaimed. "Facey hasn't eaten a thing since last night."

"That explains everything that just happened," the cardiologist stated. "This test requires a whole lot of energy from the body and he was probably already running on reserves. Let's get this poor guy to his room and get some food into his system."

His assistant made the call while B.A. and Murdock helped Face up and put him back into the wheelchair. He still looked pale and still had his eyes closed. The team hurried back towards the emergency room. A nurse was already waiting there with some whole wheat slices of bread and some coffee. As soon as he was settled in his bed and propped up with some cushions, he was finally able to eat. As he still acted like a kid, Hannibal decided to feed him and help him drink.

"How's that, kid?"

"Yummie. I'm really hungry and thirsty too."

"I bet you are, son. Now take it easy, okay. I don't want you to get sick."

Face finished his plate in record time and even managed to ask for more food. Murdock ran outside to ask the nurses for some more food and soon after some more food was brought into the room.

"You look a whole lot better already, sweetie," the older nurse said. "Poor thing. He must have been famished."

The doctor now entered the room as well.

"So how is my patient doing?" He asked.

"Good," Face said happily.

"Can I talk to your dad for a little bit?" The doctor asked.

"Don't worry about a thing, Facey. We'll stay with you. The ugly mudsucker and me."

Hannibal stepped outside of the room following the doctor. He explained to him that they still hadn't found what was going on with Face. There still was no clue as to why he was acting like a toddler again.

"I still think he had a bad reaction towards the medication," Hannibal stated.

"This reaction hasn't been reported before when using this type of medication," the doctor said. "But you might have a point. I just want to rule out all the rest. A heart condition can be well hidden, so we suggest to keep him here overnight at least so we can monitor his heart."

"He's not gonna like that," Hannibal said.

 **CHAPTER 7**

Hannibal did agree to have Face stay overnight and tested, but he asked the doctor whether the entire team could stay as well. They walked back inside Face's room. Two curious blue eyes looked up at Hannibal.

"Son, the doctor and I had a little chat. He would like you to stay here and sleep for one night at the hospital."

"Why?"

"Well, he wants to do one more test."

"Is he going to hurt me again?"

"No, you won't get hurt. We're just going to make a film of your heart over night while you are sleeping. You won't feel a thing. We're going to tape some sensors to your chest and this little device will register the beating of your heart. That's all. Is that okay?"

Face nodded his head.

"Would you like someone to stay with you?" The doctor asked.

Face nodded his head again and pointed at his team members.

A nurse helped him into the wheelchair again and brought him upstairs to his room. The rest of the team followed her. Face had closed his eyes. He still had his eyes closed when they arrived at the room. Hannibal told the nurse that he and the rest of the team would help Face to bed. She seemed to be somewhat disappointed, but left them alone.

Face now opened his eyes again and looked around the unfamiliar room.

"What am I doing here?"

"They brought you up to your room."

"My room? This so isn't my room. My room looks nothing like a hospital room. What am I doing at a hospital?"

"You was brought here, fool. You were actin' real crazy. Ain't never seen anythin' like that before. Had all of them different tests."

"What tests?"

"Kid, do you remember who you are?"

"What do you mean do I remember? Off course I remember. I'm Templeton Peck aka Faceman. What's all this about? Do you need my rank and serial number too, Colonel?"

"Yes."

"First Lieutenant Templeton Arthur Peck of the Special Forces. Supply Officer and second-in-command of the A-team. Do I need to go on?"

"No. That's okay, kid. Welcome back!"

"Welcome back? What do you mean welcome back? I haven't been gone."

"Oh yes you have been, Facey. You were totally nutso."

"I was not."

"Fool's right. You ain't been actin' straight."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have been acting and talking like a two year old, Face. It started yesterday evening. Do you remember anything?"

"No, I just woke up now. I can't remember a thing … oh wait. I …uh … I remember fainting last night. That's it until just now."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** **I know. I know. You had to wait a super long time for this next chapter, but as I said this story was far from easy for me to write. I'm glad that I finally managed to get it out of my system. Thanks for the support. Keep reviewing if you like. I'm already working on some new material which should be coming pretty soon.**

 **Chapter 7**

"You remember fainting."

"Yes. I just told you that, Hannibal. Now can someone please tell me what the heck is going on here?"

"You're sick, kid."

"I have a sinus infection and strep throat and I've got medication to get rid of those infections. I'm pretty sure I don't need to be in a hospital for that."

"Well, Lieutenant, it turns out that there's more to it than just a mere infection."

"What? What are you talking about, Hannibal?"

"Right after you claimed to be fainting, you started to act weird. You were behaving like a toddler and you couldn't remember your name or anything. I let you sleep, but you still acted like a toddler in the morning. That's when we brought you in and had you examined and tested. So far the doctor hasn't come up with anything, but he would like for you to stay overnight and monitor your heart just to rule out a possible heart condition."

"A heart condition …"

"Don't worry about it just yet, kid. They didn't come up with anything so far, but they want to make 100% sure there's nothing wrong with it. The doc said you had the heart of an athlete earlier."

"Do I really have to stay here?"

"Kid, I know how much you hate hospitals but it's important that we find out what's going on with you. Murdock and B.A. can get you some food you really like and I'll play gin with you to kill the time."

Face reluctantly agreed. Hannibal asked the doctor whether it would be okay for Face to have food from the cafeteria and so he sent out B.A. and Murdock to get it for him while he played a game of gin with Face. The guys returned soon with food for their sick team mate and themselves. They sat at the small table and enjoyed dinner together. Hannibal kept a close eye on Face and was glad to see he had returned to normal again and was talking non-stop to his team mates. He was glad he asked the doctor if they could spend the night with Face at the hospital, because they still had no clue what had happened to him.

A young nurse entered the room a little while later. She came to check Face's temperature and blood pressure and also informed him that she would come in to prepare him for his test very soon. She still had her rounds to finish first and still needed to get the necessary equipment from Face's doctor. To take his mind off of things, Hannibal decided to play another game of gin.

A little while later, the young nurse entered Face's room again with all the necessary equipment for the test.

"So … uh … this test. What's this all about?"

"Worried, kid?"

"Who? Me? No, I'm not worried. Why would I be worried?"

"Well, it's perfectly normal to be somewhat worried if you don't know what's going to happen to you. Let me tell you what we'll do. Also I can assure you that you won't feel a thing. The doctor just wants to monitor your heart overnight. So, I'll be taping some of these electrodes on your chest and connect them to the heart monitor and it will monitor your heart rhythm overnight. All you need to do is lie on your back to sleep and we'll come in and check the electrodes every once in a while too to make sure they're still attached to your chest. We can make a print out and the doctor will have a look at it in the morning. If everything is okay, you can leave the hospital again in the morning."

"So I'll be out of here in the morning, huh? Well in that case, could I invite you out to a nice candle light dinner tomorrow night?"

"Lieutenant, in case you don't remember you're still sick. There's no way you're going out while you're sick. We have to find out what's going on with you."

"Your dad is right, you know. You need to get well again first. I'll write down my phone number so you can call me when you're feeling better. Is that okay with you?"

Face merely smiled his million dollar smile and the nurse quickly grabbed a piece of paper to write down her number. Hannibal, B.A. and Murdock all rolled their eyes. They were so used to Face getting the girl, but were still amazed that he even managed to do it while he was sick.

"Okay. I'd better start preparing you for the test now. Can you take off your shirt for me?"

"Sure. Yes. No problem."

She carefully taped about 8 electrodes to his chest and explained that she taped them on bones as to avoid disturbance from possible muscle activity. The electrodes were connected to the small heart monitor device which he could wear around his neck. This device would record his heart rhythm over a period of 24 hours. She also told him he wasn't allowed to wear his shirt, so the nurses could come in and check on him and the electrodes over night to make sure they were still attached properly.

"Can I bring you something else for the night?"

"Oh a bottle of water would be nice and do you happen to have an apple or something like that?"

"Yes, sure. I'll bring you an apple and a couple of bottles of water."

"Got any milk?"

"Milk?"

"Yeah. Milk. Don't tell me you ain't got no milk. What are you feeding them babies?"

"Sure. We got milk. You'd like a glass of milk?"

"No. I'd like 2 bottles of milk."

"Two … bottles?"

"The big guy is a big kitty. Can't be without milk. Makes him mellow."

"Shut up, fool."

"Hmmm. I'll see what I can do for you, sir."

She returned a little while later carrying a tray with bottles of water and 2 bottles of milk and also Face's requested apple. She wished the guys goodnight and left the room.

The guys all got settled in the small hospital room. Hannibal decided to play another game of gin with Face to keep his mind off the test. Murdock decided to watch cartoons and B.A. enjoyed his milk. Soon Hannibal ordered his men to get some rest, but also wanted one of them to keep the watch and keep an eye on Face.

"And you need to get some rest now, kid."

"Rest. How in the hell am I supposed to rest with all these things attached to my body. I can't even move."

"Stop complaining, Face. If you lie down on your back, you'll be able to get some sleep."

"I can't sleep like that, Hannibal. And the nurses will be in here constantly to check on me and I'm cold. Why can't I just wear my t-shirt."

"Stop whining, will you. Just close your eyes and sleep already."

"But Hannibal …"

"We could also do this the hard way, Lieutenant. I could call in that cute nurse and have her give you an injection with a sedative. If you prefer that …."

"No, no. I'll try."

Hannibal decided to keep first watch, so B.A and Murdock could get some sleep. Face somehow had managed to fall asleep. Hannibal kept a close eye on his condition. A nurse came in during the night shift to take his pulse and check the electrodes.

"He's doing okay. He's sleeping peacefully."

Face slept peacefully through the rest of the night while either B.A. or Murdock were on watch. He only woke up in the morning when a young nurse was once again taking his pulse and checking the electrodes.

"Hiya, kid. Slept well?"

"Yeah. I think so. What time is it?"

"It's 8 am already, Facey. You missed all of the cartoon shows already."

"How much longer does this take?"

"He ain't sick no more, Hannibal. He's back to whinin' already."

"Haha. Very funny."

"Lieutenant, I was under the impression that you were a smart guy. You're quick, Face. Do the math. You'll need to stay here until tonight to find out what the results of the test are."

"I don't want to be stuck in this room for another day."

"Stop complainin', fool. You ain't goin' nowhere for now."

"Look on the bright sight, muchacho. You get another day of rest and you're surrounded by beautiful ladies. What more would you want?"

So to keep Face occupied for the rest of the day, the guys made sure he had the food and drinks he loved and Hannibal played cards with him for most of the day. Finally evening came. One of the nurses on duty came in to remove the electrodes from Face's body and she informed the guys that she would bring the device over to the doctor so he could have a look at the printout. All they could do now was wait for the final verdict. Face was starting to get really nervous by now.

"Relax, kid. There's nothing you can do about it now. Besides, I'm sure the doc will know how to treat you."

It didn't take too long before the doctor entered the room.

"Ah. Mr. Peck. I see you're doing better already."

"Huh. Yes."

"Gentlemen."

"Do you have the results of the test, doc."

"Yes, I do. The printout shows no abnormalities whatsoever in the heart rhythm of your son. On the contrary, he has the heart of an athlete."

"Well I do try to keep in shape."

"So then what caused him to act like this, doc? I need to know what's going on here. I can't have this happening to him again."

"Well, we turned your son inside out and can't find anything physically wrong with him. The only logical explanation would be that he had a bad reaction to the prescribed medication for the sinus infection."

"A bad reaction to the meds?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever taken them before, Mr. Peck."

"No. I can't say that I did."

"There are a couple of documented cases stating some of the symptoms Mr. Peck had and all of the patients claim they started suffering from the consequences after the intake of the medication. So, I'm afraid he's allergic to this type of medication and therefore suffered from a bad allergic reaction. I'll put this information into his medical file."

"Don't worry, doc. We'll make sure he never touches that stuff again. You can bet on it."

"So. Can I go home now?"

"Yes, Mr. Peck. I don't see why not. Oh and Mr. Peck …"

"Yes?"

"I think you'd like to know that I just passed Miss Hudson in the hallway."

"Miss Hudson?"

"Yes. She was the nurse on duty last night when we started to prepare you for the test. I think she's quite eager to go out with you after you've been released. I wouldn't worry about your son, sir. He's in quite capable hands with Miss Hudson and he's also had plenty of rest so I'm sure he's gonna be fine."

Face already wore the biggest smile and Murdock and B.A. both had to laugh.

"Looks like you have a change of babysitter tonight, kid."

THE END


End file.
